Dance With My Daddy Hosts Dads And Kids With Disabilities
I met Mark Walker over a year ago when he began coming to a nonprofit marketing group I lead for the American Marketing Association. I recognized him as a quiet man with a large, passionate heart. Mark told me he is a father to a wonderful little girl who he loves very much. She has a developmental disorder affecting many parts of her body, and so does things differently from many of her peers. He started attending my meetings because he was startin
g a nonprofit where other dads like himself could get together with their children for a fun, social, supportive gathering. His nonprofit – Dance With My Daddy – also offers access to other community resources.
Mark’s next dance for dads and their children is coming up this Friday, October 4 and will be held at The Centennial Barn (110 Compton Rd, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215) from 7 to 11 pm. It is free to families.
I asked Mark about his organization.
Tell me about your inspiration for the dances:
My inspiration comes from my awareness of how I am treated as a father of a child with a disability. I have noticed over the years that when nurses and doctors come in to a room to talk to me or my daughter’s mother they immediately talk to my daughter’s mother while I sit in the corner unacknowledged. Because of that I was inspired to do something special that my daughter and I could share.
What is your child’s disability?
My daughter was diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange
Cornelia de Lange syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body. The features of this disorder vary widely among affected individuals and range from relatively mild to severe.
Cornelia de Lange syndrome is characterized by slow growth before and after birth, intellectual disability that is usually severe to profound, skeletal abnormalities involving the arms and hands, and distinctive facial features. The facial differences include arched eyebrows that often grow together in the middle; long eyelashes; low-set ears; small, widely spaced teeth; and a small, upturned nose. Many affected individuals also have behavior problems similar to autism, a developmental condition that affects communication and social interaction.
Tell me about your child’s strengths/qualities that are not disability related:
My daughter is a fun child. She is always smiling and loves to play with her brothers and sister. Her greatest attribute is her compassion for other children. She will often cry when she sees another child crying.
How often do you hold the dances:
We hold the dances annually. They are usually held in the fall.
TEDxCincinnati Bringing Thought Provoking Presenters To Stage
They Are Among Our Region’s Most Intriguing, Thought Provoking People
On October 3, They Will Be Center Stage As TEDxCincinnati Presents “Sound Ideas”
What does the producer of a new romantic comedy film, ‘A Strange Brand of Happy’, have to do with Patti Ann Collins – wife of Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Bootsy Collins, Libby Hunt – the executive director of nonprofit WordPlay, Dr. Jason Singh – executive director of the international OneSight Foundation, and Ricky Nye – a driving force behind the annual Blues & Boogie Piano Summit have in common? They ALL have impactful messages of inspiration AND they will ALL be among the powerful lineup of presenters at the TEDxCincinnati’s Main Stage event on Thursday, October 3 at Memorial Hall in Over the Rhine (1225 Elm St).
With the last two events having sold out, TEDxCincinnati is an independently organized program licensed by TED that brings thought provoking ideas to life with engaging speakers and performers. Themed ‘Sound Ideas’, the October 3 event will feature a diverse collage of unique performers and speakers. Networking and time to meet the speakers/performers will run from 5:30 to 7:00 pm. The speakers and performers will begin promptly at 7:15pm.
Please click here to register.
“Many Tri-State residents already watch TED Talks online to discover new ways of thinking about technology, entertainment, design, business, science, and global issues. But if you aren’t yet familiar with TED Talks, we encourage you to come to our “Sound Ideas” program,” says TEDxCincinnati Organizer Jami Edelheit. “Although TEDxCincinnati operates independently of TED.com, we try to give Cincinnati area residents the same type of unforgettable experience they would enjoy at a live TED Conference. In addition to seeing riveting talks and performances by remarkable people, you can get connecTED with people of all ages and backgrounds who are open to new ideas.”
The “Sound Ideas” program by TEDxCincinnati will be the Thursday-night keynote event for Cincinnati Design Week, September 30 through October 5. Cincinnati Design Week is presented by CODE and AIGA Cincinnati.
Tickets for TEDxCincinnati “Sound Ideas” are $25.00. A limited number of tickets for students are available for $20.00. Tickets must be purchased in advance on Eventbrite, http://www.TEDxCincinnati.eventbrite.com
“Sound Ideas” Presenters
Patti Ann Collins – The wife of Hall-of-Fame funk musician Bootsy Collins, Patti Ann Collins is President of the Bootsy Collins Foundation which was established to assure that all people, regardless of their finances, get proper treatment for health-threatening dental conditions.
Libby Hunter is the executive director and co-founder of WordPlay
Dr. Jason Singh is Executive Director for OneSight, a nonprofit organization providing sustainable access to quality vision care and eyewear in underserved communities worldwide.
Dr. Ingrid Bianca Byerly teaches ethnomusicology on the faculty of Duke University and the University of Virginia’s Semester at Sea voyages.
Joe Boyd is the founder and president of Rebel Pilgrim Productions, a film, television and web media production company that tells stories that spark people to hope and action.
PERFORMERS
Ron Esposito, M.A. plays Crystal and Tibetan Singing Bowls to create music that is quiet, dreamy, and introspective.
Dr. Tonya Matthews is an award-winning writer and poet who is known as the JaHipster
Ass Ponys was an indie rock band based in Cincinnati, Ohio.
For more details on the program, visit TEDxCincinnati.com.
In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.)
About TED
TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading. Started as a conference in California 26 years ago, TED has grown to support those world-changing ideas with many initiatives. On TED.com, talks from TED conferences are shared with the world for free as TED Talks videos. A new TED Talk is posted every weekday.
Circus Mojo Is Building Medical Clowning Training Site
When it comes to higher education, not many people can claim they hold a degree in Higher Hilarity from Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. But my client, Paul Miller, founder of Ludlow’s Circus Mojo can. He graduated and went on tour with the Circus before creating CircEsteem, a Chicago-based organization designed to build self-esteem through the circus arts and later performing as Pauly the Clown at home and abroad, including six months in an international show in Japan. Lucky for Greater Cincinnati, he settled here. His Circus Mojo has not only entertained but lifted the spirits and increased self esteem of thousands in our region – from children in hospitals to urban youth to executives at area companies.
To see the faces on children who he interacts with is well, just magic. Paul has a gift. One that I don’t think school can teach – although I admit I have never been to a clown college before.
But Paul has more than a gift. He has a passion. Every day through his work he is making a positive difference in the lives of others. Emma’s smile in this photo says it all. She was born with Fanconi Anemia (FA), which causes bone marrow failure and cancers. Please click here to read her mother’s blog post about one of Paul’s visits.
Now Paul, whose company has been working with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center for years, is gearing up to open the country’s very first training site for medical clowning. Next week he will be hosting a public workshop. Below are details from my news release.
Head of the World’s Only Four Year Degree Program In Medical Clowning
Travels From Israel And Visits Future Site Of The United States’
First Training Site for Medical Clown Certification In Ludlow, Kentucky
When it comes to alleviating tension, reducing pain, and speeding recovery time of hospital patients, medical clowning has serious healing power. And soon, Circus Mojo in Ludlow, Kentucky will open the United States’ very first training site to offer medical clown certification. On October 3, Dr. Atay Citron, head of the world’s only four-year degree program in medical clowning at Israel’s University of Haifa, and David Barashi, trained medical clown who has performed in India, Thailand, and with the Israeli Defense Force in the aftermath of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, will be visiting and co-hosting with Circus Mojo a free, three hour workshop.
Free Clowning Workshop
Thursday, October 3 from 6 to 9 pm
at Circus Mojo (322 Elm St in Ludlow, Kentucky, 41016)
Dr. Citron and Barashi will be in Greater Cincinnati as part of an educational exchange through Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Israel Exchange Program.
It was two years ago when the two first met Circus Mojo founder, Paul Miller, at the 10th anniversary of the Dream Doctors Conference in Israel, where Miller – a veteran Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus clown – performed with pioneers in the study and implementation of medical clowning.
Mr. David Barashi is a Medical Clown; he has earned an undergraduate degree in Nursing and theatre arts from the University of Heifa. This episode also features a documentary on medical clowning through which physicians relate to acutely and chronically ill children and their parents to help them endure painful and stressful medical procedures.”
What is a medical clown or circus wellness specialist?
A medical clown or circus wellness specialist is a trained profession who has the ability to understand a patient’s behavior and medical staff interaction, and can connect with parents and non-ill siblings as well. A 2005 study by Vagnoli and Caprilli demonstrated that the presence of clowns, together with the child’s parents, during the induction of anesthesia, was an effective intervention for managing children’s and parents’ preoperative anxiety. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16199685)
Over the past four years Circus Mojo has had a contract with Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (and other leading institutions) to dispense ‘Mojo Medicine.’ Performers work as Circus Wellness ™ Specialists to reduce anxiety in patients and their families, and work to build hospital staff morale in a highly stressful environment.
“We have seen firsthand the benefits of our Mojo Medicine in hospitals, and our vision is to expand this very important work with an accredited training center at our newly acquired 9,000 square foot facility in Ludlow,” said Miller.
The Institute of Social Circus & Vocational Training Center L3C
In October 2012 Miller and a group of international partners purchased the former Duro Bag Headquarters from the City of Ludlow with the help of a $10,000 contribution from Duke Energy.
The Institute of Social Circus is developing a certification program in applying circus training with three focus areas: Youth, Medical Settings, and Adults Who Are Seniors And/Or Who Have Disabilities.
When complete in mid-2014, the Institute of Social Circus & Vocational Training Center, will be the first training center in the world dedicated to teaching adults the circus techniques, team building skills and social work principles for the purposes of training, educating and meeting the social service needs of disenfranchised youth or in Cirque Du Soleil terms, “youth in difficulty”, hospitalized individuals and youth in detention or in other institutionalized settings, serving a growing need in the United States and abroad.
About Circus Mojo Founded in 2009 by former Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey clown Paul Miller, Circus Mojo engages people of all ages to focus on abilities in hospitals, boardrooms, events, workshops, and other venues. With three focus areas – entertainment, education and community development – its programs and performances are designed to unlock personal talent, confidence, drive and spirit.
Paul explains Circus Wellness
Circus Mojo’s Circus Wellness (™) PechaKucha from Paul Miller on Vimeo.
Tri-State Organizations Taking Steps To Prevent Falls
Did you know this is National Fall Prevention Week?
Falls by older adults out in the community and in their homes is part of an alarming trend in the Tri-State region. Newly released 2012 data from the Tri-State Trauma Registry show that nearly half of all trauma related injuries were caused by a fall. Among all fall-related injuries, 53 percent of falls were experienced by persons age 65 and older. Even more alarming, 66 percent of all falls occur within the home.
Clermont County Public Health and other county health departments also offer home safety and fall prevention classes. These free classes offer older adults free medication reviews and fall risk assessments with physical therapists who work with patients on increasing physical activity and eliminating environment hazards.
Other community organizations offer home modification programs. One such program is Whole Home, which is a unique home modification service of People Working Cooperatively. Whole Home offers one-on-one education, in home assessments and community collaboration, all of which is part of their three-tiered approach to reduce the number of falls in older adults. They can provide modification and improvements to homes by installing items such as motion-activated lights, grab bars in bathrooms and handrails on all stairways.
“We plan on providing fall prevention education to 50 senior centers, community centers and other gatherings,” said Ron Henlein, director of corporate and community partnerships at People Working Cooperatively.
Tomorrow there is a free fall prevention class :
Thursday, Sept. 26 at 11 a.m.
Nathanael Green Lodge
6394 Wesselman Rd, Cincinnati, OH 45248
To register, call (513) 569-6400.
Note: this class is open.
Good Morning Sunshine!
